I flush, allowing Magnus to lead me away from the stages, toward the concessions.
“What in Goddess’s name was he thinking, leaving you alone?” he mutters quietly, pinning me protectively to his side. “Are you alright?”
“It’s not his fault!” I say, suddenly defensive. “He… well, Angel and… it’s a long story. Whatwasthat?”
“A song of old—there are a few, like that one—designed to lure humans to our arms.”
That sounds … bad.
“What would have happened if they found out … that I’m a human?”
“Curiosity—which can be harmless or deadly, depending on who wields it,” he says, his fangs exposed as he offers me a smile.I’m unsure if it’s supposed to be threatening or reassuring. “Gil would have my head if I sat back and let you dance until you died.”
“What?”
“Relax, it barely happens. Not anymore, at least.” He fixes the flowers in my hair. “At least now you blend in.”
“Are you always at the right place at the right time?”
He smiles boyishly, though there’s something disconcerting about it. “My dear, I do not think anyone has ever expressed that sentiment about me.” If I’m not mistaken, he’s standing taller. “I happened to be passing through for my blessing.”
“A blessing?” I ask, reaching up to touch the flowers on my head. “Does it have something to do with these?”
His smile wanes as he nods, offering me his arm. “It does,” he says, blowing out a breath. “I had hoped to be at the festival with someone. Hence my provisions for mortal ears, but alas.”
“You got … stood up?” If I’m remembering correctly, Gil mentioned this guy is a king, and despite not being my type, he’s definitely attractive.
I wonder what the catch is.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked—or assumed,” I ramble, realizing this is Gil’s best friend. I should still be focusing on making a good first impression.
He looks at me sadly, his lavender eyes heavy. “At least it has not gone to waste—now!”
My arm in his, he pivots toward the marsh. “Gil’s family celebrates at the same pavilion each year. Come, I’ll take you to them.”
“And on the way, you can tell me some stories about you and Gil growing up together?” I ask hopefully. As silly and jealous as I felt last night, it would be nice to have someone fill in the gaps.
His lips curl into a devilish grin. “Then allow me to think of something that will utterly embarrass him.”
Magnus’s stories are more endearing than they are embarrassing.
In fact, it seems the pair got into a fair amount of trouble as kids, like the time they set frogs loose in a grand ballroom. Apparently, Magnus was living in a castle in the Dragonfly Court, a place filled with faeries—and his disapproving mother. She sounds like she’d have a lot in common with Aunt Andrea.
Truthfully, I hear more stories about the vampire king than I do about Gil, but one thing is certain: my new boyfriend is a good friend and not just to me.
Now, I understand more than ever why Magnus is constantly barging into Gil’s life. I don’t blame him. If this place hadn’t been a world away, I would have been doing the same thing all these years.
It seems lonely people have a way of latching onto Gil.
If he were here, I think we’d both be more comfortable.
“He’s never stopped hoping to find you, I hope you know that,” Magnus says, not meeting my eyes. He’s focused on a musician in the distance, playing a large harp that appears to be made of flowers and vines. “All the stories I have of Gil include him wishing you were here too.”
As happy as that makes me, it also feels like …pressure.God knows I’m not perfect. What if I can’t live up to the ideal that’s in his head?
“You don’t believe me, do you?”
“Huh?” I ask, distracted by a large band of bee-creatures playing a variety of strange instruments I can’t quite figure out.
